Method and apparatus for sawing shingle and shake blanks

ABSTRACT

A method and means employing a crowding pressure is provided to saw a board diagonally or obliquely between its broad faces from end-to-end for the production of tapered shingles or shakes.

United States Patent Carl M. Ulsky Rte. 2, Box 733, Lake Stevens, Wash. 98258 Apr. 28, 1969 Jan. 12, 1971 Inventor Appl. No. Filed Patented METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SAWING SHINGLE AND SHAKE BLAN KS 11 Claims, 13 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 144/323, 143/12,143/5 Int. Cl B27m 3/02, B27b 13/00 Field ofSearch 143/4, 5, 8,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1928 Loken 143/5(-2) 5/1934 Hutchings l43/5(-2) 8/1939 Richardson 143/5 9/1956 Denton 143/4 Primary Examiner- Donald R. Schran AltomeyF0rd E. Smith ABSTRACT: A method and means employing a crowding pressure is provided to saw a board diagonally or obliquely between its broad faces from end-to-end for the production of tapered shingles or shakes.

Aw r3 #0 PATENTETI JAN 1 2 I97:

SHEET 1 0F 4 PATENTEDJANIZIQYI 3.1554250 7 suit! 2 or 4 1 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SAWING SHINGLE AND SHAKE BLANKS SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention is particularly adaptable to converting split cedar shake blanks into tapered shakes such as are commonly used for siding and roofing purposes. The invention is described in the environment of shake production as an example without intent to limit its application since those'skilled in the art will readily perceive other applications. A typical shake blank is'usually a board that may be from about 3 inches to inches or more in width, from about 24 inches to 36 inches long, and about linch to. IV: inch thick. Such blanks are split from billets to form surfaces that are rough or rustic in apl pearance and for this reason deemed architecturally attractive. In the past expert workers were able to cleave such shakes by skillful use of a frow whereby shakes, tapered between their ends, and having thicker butts and thinner tips, were produced. Substantial skill was required, the work was painstaking and production was low. It has been deemed more practical and better economics to abandon taper-splitting and to simply clea've straight boards of substantially uniform thickness from end-to-end and then to saw these boards into the desired tapered form. Hand sawing has been practiced in the past,lbut this has proven slow, dangerous to the sawyer, and to require great skill to such extent as to be generally impractical. A primary object of this invention has been to provide-a mechanical method of obliquely sawing wooden blanks to produce tapered shakes. A further object of this invention is the provision of a method in which crowding pressure is. applied to a blank as it moves into a saw so that the resultant saw kerf is cut diagonally betweenthe broad faces of the blank and a pair of similartapered shingles or shakes are formed. A further related object of this invention has beenthe application of guiding pressure surfaces at opposite faces of a blank which may be transversely crowded as the blank advances and progressively shifted with respect to the saw proportionally to forward movement of the blank. Another object of this invention is toperform such method by the use of roller-type pressure surfaces converging toward each other in the direction of the blank. Still another and further object of importance with respect to this invention has been thelprovision of apparatus by which the foregoing method objectives are simply and efficiently carried which is automatic and accurate in operation, which is capable of accepting various sizes and thicknesses ofblank workpieces, and which may be manned and operated by relatively unskilled labor- .while at the same-time maintaining'a high rate of production. These and other objects which will become more apparent during the course of the description of this invention will best be comprehended by reference to the appended-drawings.

THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a perspective view illustrating the desired manner of cutting a blank to form a pair of shingles or shakes;

FIG. 2, 3 and 4 are schematic illustrations progressively showing the cutting steps of this invention;

FIG. 5 is a plan view machine apparatus forming part of this invention; 1

FIG. 6 is a view in elevation of the apparatusof FIG. 5';

FIG.-7= is a plan view from beneath of a portion of the apparatusof FIG. 5; I

FIG. 8.is a partial side viewof the left side of the apparatus. of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9. is a partialface viewof the apparatusshowing parts of theapparatus in moved position;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of locking mechanism of the apparatus of FIG. 5;

FIG. 11 is a cross section detail view taken in line 11-11 of' FIG. 6; and. Y 7

FIG. 12 and [3 schematically show adjusted relationships of I parts accommodating blanks of variousthicknesses and of THE METHOD'OF THIS INVENTION A wooden shingle or shake blank 10, which may alsov be termeda board, usually of cedar or like straight-grained wood, has been split as shown from a billet. Depending on the grain structure in the billet, such blanks generally are quite straight. However, they may be twisted from end-to-end or be nonuniform in thickness, and occasionally they contain swales in their surfaces as when thewoodgrain of the billet is curved. These nonuniform conditions in the workpiece are accommodated by this invention.

Sawblade l2, normally an endless bandsaw blade bland blade, is preferably operated in vertical plane A-A (see FIGS. 2-4) in advance of an opposed, upright pair of counterrotating rolls 14 and 16 forming a nip in and through which the blank is advanced and passes. Rotation of the rolls. I6 is such that their adjacent nipping surfaces move or converge toward each other forwardly in the direction of the cutting.

teeth of the saw 12. Initially, as when a blank 10 is introduced into the roller pressure nip, the nip surface of roll 14 is substantially tangential with plane A-A of saw 12, as shown in- FIG. 2. This insures that blank 10 makes initial contact: with saw 12 along a line substantially coplanar with the firstface ll of the blank, i.e. the one borne against by contacting roller 14.. While the blank is advancing through the roller nip and sawing. continues, transverse or lateral pressure is applied to the rollers and the blank therebetween to progressively crowd and shift the blank relative saw 12 as shown by comparing FIG. 2 with FIG. 3 and thence with FIG. 4. This results in saw kerf 18 being cut in the blank at an angle to its opposed broad faces. Kerf 18 extends obliquely of the blank between the juncture 20 of first side 11 with the leading end 21 of the blank. The kerf runs out at the juncture 22 of the second face 13 of the blank with its trailing end 23. The result of this operation is the production of two similar tapered shingles or shakes each having an exposure surface, preferably rough as shown, and a newly cut surface normally applied face inwardto a building.

THE APPARATUSOF THIS INVENTION The mechanisms combined in the machine are supported in a frame which includes bed 30 and standards 32, 34 joined at their upper ends by cross plate 36. Upright parallelshafts-38 and 39 are suitably joumaled in bed 30 and plate 36, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. A counter shaft 40 is likewise mounted: to. upstand above plate 36. Ata rear shelf extension 37 of plate 36 is mounted motor 42 joined by flexible coupling 44 to a reduction gear box 46 from which upstands shaft. 48-having drive sprocket 50 thereon.v Each of shafts 38,,39 and.40 are likewise provided with sprockets and chain-52', passing around sprocket 50, engages, as shown in FIG. 5, the sprockets on said shafts to impart driving force. It; will be noted.that the relationship of chain 52'chain.52 to the sprocketzon-shaft; 38 and 39'is in opposite phasev sothat shafts 38'-and 3,9v are counterrotating. Shaft 38 has a forward extending arm 54.pi.votedL thereon and disposed just above bed 30: A spring-.56-betweenarm 54- and an anchor 57 tends to bias arm 56towardianzouter end of bed 30. Similarly, shaft 39 has arm.58.pivoted'toit, above bed 30. A second:pair of arms SSand 59 are-pivoted;

respectively to shafts 38fand 39 in spaced. apart, overlying;

sprocket connected by endless chains 65. and'67', respectively,

that pass around sprockets. (not shown) onshafts3&andf39t Upon-the application of power fromimotor 42' to.-coupling1 44 and out of gear box 46, the chain 52 is causedztov move in such manner as to counterrotate shafts 38and 39f'and thence.

to cause travel of chains 65 and 67 in such direction that'rolvarious lengths respectively. Y

lers 1'4' and. 16 likewise counterrotate so-that' their adjacent surfaces move or converge toward each otherin the direction of the saw 12, i.e. in the forward direction. A blank 10, disposed between rollers 14 and 16, will thus be advanced. into cuttingcontact with saw 12. Initially cutting contact will be.

Referring to FIG. 7, at the underside of bed 30, shaft 38 has securely gripped for movement therewith arm 70. Likewise shaft 39 is engaged by arm 72. The rear ends of arm 70 and 72 are pivotally coupled to drawbar 74, the coupling of arm 72 to bar 74 being by a fixed pivot pin 76 and the coupling of arm 70 to bar 74 being in a lost-motion manner by means of slot 80. A spring switch 82 is mounted on bar 74 and has a protruding actuator pin 83 which, when arm 70 is moved to the end of slot 80, as shown in FIG. 7, is closed and which opens when pressed by boss 79, carried by pin 78. The bar 74 is drawn or biased as to the left in FIG. 7 by spring 84, anchored at its ends to lug 85 on bar 74 and at an anchor lug 86.

A notched latch member 90 is carried by arm 59, as show in FIGS. 5, 6 and and latch tongue 92 engages in the notch of 90 to hold roller 16 in a fixed position such that initially its inner nip surface is approximately coplanar with the plane A-A of saw 12. Pivot pin 91 is journaled in frame member 34 and includes bell crank arm 93 which is caused to swing by solenoid 95 and its linkage 97 to unlatch arms 55, 58. Initially roller 14, by reason of its lost-motion connection with bar 74, is free to swing or be moved away from roller 16. The rollers when not feeding blanks are fairly closely disposed and counterrotating with respect to each other in this initial phase. As a blank is introduced between rollers 14 and 16, roller 14 moves to the left in FIGS. 5 and 6 sufficiently to permit a blank of whatever thickness to pass into the feed nip between the rollers. Such blank, by reason of power being applied to the rollers in the manner described, will then be advanced or urged forward toward sawblade 12.

Above plate 36 is a transverse guidebar 100 mounted at its ends between arms 102 and 104 pivoted respectively at 103 and 105 on the other sides of standards 32 and 34. Arms 102 and 104 and crossbar 100 constitute a pivoted yoke. On crossbar 100 is slidably mounted rack 106 which is engageable with pinion 108 keyed to counter shaft 38. Spring 110, anchored between rack 106 and fixed lug 111, tends to urge rack 106 to the left when not engaging pinion 108. A fore-andaft or counter shaft 112 is journaled on frame standard 32 and has on its rear upstanding lever or am 114, the upper end of which is loosely and slidably coupled at the rear to rack 106. Transverse movement of rack 106 swings lever 114 and accomplishes pivotal movement of shaft 112.

The yoke, comprising arms 102, 104 and crossbar 100, being pivotally mounted on pins 103, 105, is normally disposed rearward as seen in FIG. 5 so that rack 106 is out of engagement with pinion 108 on shaft 38. Latching of pin 124 by arm 128 is actuated by switch 140 after rack 106 is engaged to pinion 108.

Forward movement of the yoke is accomplished by means of rotation of shaft 144 journaled at 146, 146 on head frame 37. Shaft 144 has at its ends cam elements 148 which bear on the rear of arms 102 and 104. Shaft 144 is rotated by a linkage 150 actuated by solenoid 152. When solenoid 152 is charged, draft is placed upon the linage 150 causing shaft 144 to rock in such manner as to rotate the cams 148 and press the yoke forward whereupon rack 106 engages the teeth of pinion 108. Since the latter is rotating at this time, the rack immediately begins to move to the right, thus moving arm 114 and simultaneously rocking actuator arm 116.

The forward end of shaft 112 supports the angularly disposed arm 116 that has a profiled or cam surface 118 on its inclined face. Associated with press roll 16 is press arm 120, pivotally coupled to roller arm 55. Arm 120 carries cam follower roller 122 that follows the contour of camming surface 118. Ann 120 passes loosely through slot 117 in camming arm 116 and free to slide and swing up and down therein. During an initial phase of operation, surface 118 causes a raising of the outer end of press arm 120 and it moves outward when press roll 16 is moved. Arm 120 is swung outward proportional to the thickness of a blank fed to the rollers and is raised to a height governed by the profile of the camming surface 1 18.

An upstanding link 124 on the outer end of arm 120 loosely passes through an aperture in fixed plate 126 on a second movable arm 127 from roller arm 55. Notched latch arm 128, swung or moved by drawbar 130 is actuated by solenoid 132 and serves to bind arm 124 in an attained raised position, thus fixing roller arm 55 in whatever position it has been forced to when it is moved by the introduction of a blank into the nip between roller 14 and 16. When the mechanism is locked, while a shingle or shake blank is being fed between rollers 14 and 16, the roller axes are maintained in fixed, spaced apart relation.

Press arm 120 and camming or actuator arm 116 will be seen to comprise toggle link structure between press roll 16 and the frame of the machine. As arm 116 is swung about its pivot axis, cam surface 118 presses on roller 122 and forces or crowds the press roll toward coplanar relation with the sawblade 12. Set roll 14 is then unlatched and free to move out of coplanar relation with sawblade 12. When a thin blank is fed the effective length of this toggle link structure is relatively short since press arm 120 is not raised very high as roller 122 follows cam surface 118. Conversely a thicker blank causes the effective length of the toggle link structure to be relatively great as cam 118 then raises the intermediate pivot axis a greater distance from the axis of pivot shaft 112. The association of roller 122 with cam surface will thus be seen to comprise adjustable connection means between the press arm 120 and the actuator arm 116.

As rotation of roller 14 and associated pinion 108 occurs during the forward feeding of blank 10, rack 106 moves to the right causing the upper end of lever arm 114 to swing clockwise effecting a corresponding initial swinging movement of actuator arm 116. Simultaneously arm 114 leaves switch 140 permitting the closure of a circuit to energize solenoid 95, freeing latch am 92 from arm and also to energize solenoid 132 to secure latch 128 and hold pin 124 in its attained raised position. Pressure is then applied to the cam follower roller 122, thence to arms 20 and 55, somewhat as shown in FIG. 9.

The result is the application of crowding or shifting pressure to both rollers 14, 16 and to the interposed blank 10. As advancement of the blank through the nip between the rollers continues under this progressive application of force, the blank is crowded in such manner that the resultant diagonal or oblique saw kerf 18 is formed as schematically detailed in FIGS. 2-4. Swinging movement of camming arm 116 continues so long as the blank is passing through the feed nip and is proportional to the thickness of each blank that is fed to the machine.

When a blank leaves the roller nip, arm 70 is freed to revolve relative arm 72, thus bringing boss 79 to bear on switch knob 83, causing switch 82 to open and interrupt current flow to solenoid 152, thus freeing rack 106 to starting position and, in the process, deactivating switch 140, mounted on standard 32 of the frame, in the path of arm 114 as it returns to its normal position. As arrn 114 swings to the left as in FIG. 6, it presses against the actuating knob of switch 140 to open and interrupt the supply of current to solenoid 132, thus unlatching rod 124 and arm 120, permitting the same to drop. This current interruption also deactivates solenoid 95, thus permitting latch arm 92 to fall and reengage in the notch of arm 90, as shown in FIG. 10.

As rapidly as the blank leaves the roller nip and switch 82 is activated, the flow of current to solenoid 152 is discontinued. The machine thereupon returns to its at rest" position with the rollers closed substantially together ready to receive a next blank. As shown, the machine is arranged for a 24 inch blank.

It will be noted that the crowding pressure applied against press roller 16 continues throughout the full length of the blank as it passes said roller. Blanks of excessively different lengths require an adjustment of the length of rack 106. It will also be noted that the set of arm and its pin 124 in the elevated position is proportional to the thickness of the blank that is forced between rollers 14 and 16. By this means is automatically determined the set of the toggle link structure. and hence, the effect of camming surface 118 thereon. In other words, by reason of the profile or theshape of camming surface 118, arm 120 is moreor less raised in direct proportion to the varying thicknesses of the fed blanks 10. By this arrangement the oblique kerf cutin a thin blankwill be at a lesser angle with respect to theplane A-A than will be the kerf cut in a relatively thick blank, which, of course, would be obliquely at a greater angle relative said plane. v

The mounting of switch 140 in the path of arm 114 insures that the blank must travel approximately 1 inch or so until it starts into the saw. This initial travel of the leading board end coincides with the initial travel of rack l 06 and provides a time delay before switch 140 activates due to movement of arm 114 to close circuits to solenoids 13,2and 95, thus releasing tip lock 92 from notch 90and activating brake 1 28.

1. Apparatus for sawing shingle and shake blanks, comprismg: v

A. a sawblade operable in a fixed plane; I

B. a frame including means pivotally supporting a set roller and a press roller in opposed relation to form a feed nip;

C. means to counterrotate said opposed rollers to feed a blank through said feed nip into the cutting teeth of said sawblade; q I

D. said set roller being initially located so that its face at said feed nip is substantially coplanar with said sawblade;

E. said set roller support means including biasing means operableto permit said set roller to resiliently swing away I from the plane of said sawblade;

F. said press roller support means including biasing means operable to permit said press roller to be resiliently displaced from said set roller to open the feed nip sufficiently to accommodate the introduction and passage of a blank and p G..means operable to progressively crowd as cutting occurs said press and set rollers and a blank in the feed nip therebetween relative said sawblade at such a rate that the nip face of the press roller moves into substantially coplanar relation with said sawblade as the trailing end of said blank leaves the feed nip.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the means G. includes contractible-extensible toggle link structure disposed between said press roll and said frame, the extension of which structure imparts crowding pressure on said rolls and blank.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 in which one member of said toggle link structure is pivotally mounted on said frame and is pivoted by means interconnected with and moved by rotation of said press roll.

4, The apparatus'of claim 1 in which the means G. comprises:

a,press arm pivotally associated with said press rollerand movable therewith as said press roller moves to open the feed nip;

actuator means carried by said actuator arm to pivotally move the same to thereby impart pressure upon said press arm and the associated press roll in the direction of the plane of said-sawblade; and means to interconnect said actuator means with said press roll to derive power therefrom to pivot said actuator arm. 5. The apparatus of claim 4 in which the adjustable connec' tion means, comprises:

means forming a cam surface on said actuator arm; cam follower means cooperable with said cam surface and carried on said press arm; and means is included to secure said press arm in a position attained relative said actuator arm as said press roll moves to open the feed nip. 6. The apparatus of claim '1 in which there is included means to latch said set roll in its initial location relative said sawblade, and there is also provided latch disengaging means operable upon the entry of a blank into said feed ni to unlatch said set roll during passage of a blank through the feed nip.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 in which the actuator means comprises an actuator lever and means to'interconnect said actuator lever with said press roll comprises separable rackand-pinion means.

8. The method of sawing 'a broad wooden blank of substantially uniform thickness to form a pair of tapered shingles or shakes, comprising:

advancing a wooden blank into initial cutting contact with a saw substantially coplanar with a first surface of said blank; and

while continuing advancement of said blank, simultaneously pressure-crowding the blank transversely with respect to the plane of said saw at such rate the saw emerges from said blank substantially coplanar with the second surface thereof opposite said first surface.

9. The method of claim 8 in which the blank is disposed between opposed guiding pressure surfaces, and said transverse crowding is obtained by progressively shifting said presan actuator armmounted on said frame for movement sure surfaces and the blank therebetween proportional to the thickness of the forward moving blank continuing as long as the blank is being sawn.

10. The method of claim 9 in which the blank is subjected to roller-type pressure surfaces converging toward each other in the direction of movement of the blank.

11. The method of diagonally sawing shake blanks from end-to-end, comprising:

feeding a blank through the nip between an upright pair of counterrotating rolls and into initial cutting relation with an upright sawblade substantially coplanar with a first face of said blank; and

progressively shifting said nip and the blank therein laterally with respect to the plane of the saw a distance equal to the thickness of the blank and proportional to the length of said blank. 

1. Apparatus for sawing shingle and shake blanks, comprising: A. a sawblade operable in a fixed plane; B. a frame including means pivotally supporting a set roller and a press roller in opposed relation to form a feed nip; C. means to counterrotate said opposed rollers to feed a blank through said feed nip into the cutting teeth of said sawblade; D. said set roller being initially located so that its face at said feed nip is substantially coplanar with said sawblade; E. said set roller support means including biasing means operable to permit said set roller to resiliently swing away from the plane of said sawblade; F. said press roller support means including biasing means operable to permit said press roller to be resiliently displaced from said set roller to open the feed nip sufficiently to accommodate the introduction and passage of a blank and G. means operable to progressively crowd as cutting occurs said press and set rollers and a blank in the feed nip therebetween relative said sawblade at such a rate that the nip face of the press roller moves into substantially coplanar relation with said sawblade as the trailing end of said blank leaves the feed nip.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the means G. includes contractible-extensible toggle link structure disposed between said press roll and said frame, the extension of which structure imparts crowding pressure on said rolls and blank.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2 in which one member of said toggle link structure is pivotally mounted on said frame and is pivoteD by means interconnected with and moved by rotation of said press roll.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the means G. comprises: a press arm pivotally associated with said press roller and movable therewith as said press roller moves to open the feed nip; an actuator arm mounted on said frame for movement about a fixed pivot and associated with said press arm in toggle link fashion by adjustable connection means; actuator means carried by said actuator arm to pivotally move the same to thereby impart pressure upon said press arm and the associated press roll in the direction of the plane of said sawblade; and means to interconnect said actuator means with said press roll to derive power therefrom to pivot said actuator arm.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4 in which the adjustable connection means, comprises: means forming a cam surface on said actuator arm; cam follower means cooperable with said cam surface and carried on said press arm; and means is included to secure said press arm in a position attained relative said actuator arm as said press roll moves to open the feed nip.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1 in which there is included means to latch said set roll in its initial location relative said sawblade, and there is also provided latch disengaging means operable upon the entry of a blank into said feed nip to unlatch said set roll during passage of a blank through the feed nip.
 7. The apparatus of claim 4 in which the actuator means comprises an actuator lever and means to interconnect said actuator lever with said press roll comprises separable rack-and-pinion means.
 8. The method of sawing a broad wooden blank of substantially uniform thickness to form a pair of tapered shingles or shakes, comprising: advancing a wooden blank into initial cutting contact with a saw substantially coplanar with a first surface of said blank; and while continuing advancement of said blank, simultaneously pressure-crowding the blank transversely with respect to the plane of said saw at such rate the saw emerges from said blank substantially coplanar with the second surface thereof opposite said first surface.
 9. The method of claim 8 in which the blank is disposed between opposed guiding pressure surfaces, and said transverse crowding is obtained by progressively shifting said pressure surfaces and the blank therebetween proportional to the thickness of the forward moving blank continuing as long as the blank is being sawn.
 10. The method of claim 9 in which the blank is subjected to roller-type pressure surfaces converging toward each other in the direction of movement of the blank.
 11. The method of diagonally sawing shake blanks from end-to-end, comprising: feeding a blank through the nip between an upright pair of counterrotating rolls and into initial cutting relation with an upright sawblade substantially coplanar with a first face of said blank; and progressively shifting said nip and the blank therein laterally with respect to the plane of the saw a distance equal to the thickness of the blank and proportional to the length of said blank. 